The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-11-02
BUFFERS BRIEF.
His Plea for the Condemned Anarchists
Now in Chicago's Jail.

His Plea for the Condemned Anarchists
Now in Chicago's Jail.
NEW YORK, October pa Washington
special gives the following in regard to
Buffers brief to be presented in the Anar-
chist cases of Spies and Fielden. He be-
gins by defining the rights and lmmunities
of e citizen of the United States under the
constitution and then goes on as follows:
If there could be any doubt as to what is the
meaning of privileges and immunities of cit
liens of the United states and how far such cit
izen is protected by them as with & defensive
upon an impregnAble ground. 1t sppea rs by
the record that they were born, respectively,
citizens OF Germany and Great Britain with
both OF which nations we have treaties OF am
ton of the citizens, which provide
in substance that from the time OF the
ratification of these treaties the citizens and
sub ects of these countries shall have all the
privileges immunities and protection OF the.law
while they are residing in the other country,
that any citizen OF the country where they re-
side, may claim ST the hands of his government
and we claim the doctrine of International law
10 be- that after such treaty is made no possible
changes Uf laws Of either country from what
they were at the time as the ratlheation can al
feet the citizen of the other country. and 50, es-
pecially in regard to the rights OF properly and
The case Of August Spies stands upon the re-
cord IN this way. The facts beng that SDies'
office and desk were broken open oy the officers
without warrant. the letters and contents OF
their desks seized and carried away. One letter
and postal card. all from Johann Most, which
were deemed 10 i'm pllcate spies, were produced
by the prosecuting attorney. He stated 1t the
time that they were part OF the letters so seiz-
ed. and they were placed before Spies when on
the stand who was asked whether he had re-
esived them from Most. Objection was made
10 his being SO asked The cours compelled
him TO answer. He identified them, and his
was the only evidence OF OF Identification of
the letter he had received. Discussion was had
whether il could be rean in evidence OBJ
| lection was made that 1t was obtain
ed by the State by unlawful seizure and the
court ruled that that matter could not be inves-
| tigeted there. This being so, the only question
which arises here is whether ioreignsr S
rights privileges and immunitieS protected by
| treaty fully, and equal to those with which the
first citizen of the land is clothed, never to be
changed 1y any power from what they were az
ed, set aside and trampled upon by state
court, and If there can be no redress to the SUI
pTeme court OF the United states because no
means have been provided to bring the matter
! before the court by which the life OF the party
| thus TO be murdered can be saved?
The court will also remember the care, tender
| ness and caution witb.whicb, unoer The Consti-
| tuition, the rights OF an alien were TO be pre-
! served in civil cases. He was always TO hnd
Jurisdiction IN all controversies as 70 property
/ in the federal courts .Of the United States, il
/ purpose to appeal to them whether process was
brought by or against him. Can II be that
\ while such provision was made for the protec-
/ ton of the alien in his property that his lie
/ might. be tax en- through any law enacted by
/ the caprice or by the misguided political re-
venges of the states aud the federal jurisdiction
be wholly incapable Of dealing with the
wrongs or errors or worse OF such state iurisiic.
tions for want OF power to enforce the laws OF
/ the United states, or Of power to issue in that
regard Know-nothingism, in its widest
/ flights in Louisiana, Virginia AMI Massa thu
/ sets where it held government, never N ade SC
/ wild claim as this. What Is this claim? These
prisoners, loaded down with the mail coat Of
triple steel OF the rights, PR vileges and immun
4 tiles belted around them by the solemn cove
nant in which the honor OF the country i
J pledged, ncw stand at your bar ana ask tina
/ that honor shall be maintained inviolate.